Stanley Putala
Military ROLL OF HONOUR15-Jul-42 Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F #42-2967 [PU-G] "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Shak Hak".
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F #42-2967 'Shak Hak' while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner. The aircraft was attacked by fighters and crashed into the English Channel on return from a mission to St. Nazaire, France. Killed in Action (KIA).
Mission Particiaptions (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
![Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378931.jpg.webp?itok=VX83NyM9)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Beats Me
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Thumper
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Yardbird II
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Shak Hak
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
![B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group fly over countryside. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 16 Feb 1943.' [stamp] Printed caption on reverse: '7-12 Liberator planes of U.S. Bomber Command in flight at the start of an operational patrol from their base "somewhere in England". And February 17th 1943 PN'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379113.jpg.webp?itok=PMFn3r3H)
- Date: 16 February 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 23 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
15 July 1942 | Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. | |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner aboard B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS. | |
|
Other Mission #1, Stanley Putala, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
17 November 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #2, Stanley Putala, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
18 November 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #3, Stanley Putala, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
23 November 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #4, Stanley Putala, w/B-17F 41-24602 303BG/360BS |
30 December 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #5, Stanley Putala, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
3 January 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #6, Stanley Putala, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
13 January 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #7, Stanley Putala, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS - KIA |
16 February 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was shor down by fighters and crashed into the sea and he was Killed in Action (KIA) | |
|
Born |
|||
|
Other Commemorated |
Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery | ||
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
16 February 1943 | Killed when aircraft was shot down by enemy fighters and crashed into the English Channel. |
Revisions
Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a Separator to aid readability.
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 16-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/016-.pdf
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010-.pdf
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made connections to Aircraft (through 23-Jan-43) and Missions (through 23-Jan-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
Lee Cunningham 19-Feb-2015 . Added SN, corrected crew position, added KIA event per MACR 15116; Added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; Made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position and minor edits to Biography based on 303rd Bomb Group website, historian Gary Moncur.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15116 / MACR 15116, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Heys pp. 77-78 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database